Baltimore's New Security Guard Wage Law: What It Means for Your Payroll and Books
Baltimore's ordinance sets a roughly $18/hour wage plus $5.50 benefits floor for security guards from January 1, 2028 — payroll taxes don't count toward it.
#job-costing
Job Costing
Track costs per project or job for accurate profitability analysis
The Cost of Goods Manufactured Schedule: How Small Manufacturers Turn Raw Materials, Direct Labor, and Overhead Into a Real COGS Number
A COGM schedule turns raw materials, direct labor, and overhead into a real COGS — plus the WIP counts and Section 263A UNICAP limits that decide margin.
Drone Mapping Business Bookkeeping: Part 107 Costs, Equipment Depreciation, and Per-Acre Pricing That Holds Margin
A $1,500 drone survey can net a few hundred dollars once US Part 107 fees, hull and payload insurance, and MACRS depreciation enter your per-acre math.
September 30 Is Coming: How Small Contractors Can Win a Share of the Federal Q4 Spending Sprint
Agencies obligate 30–40% of annual contract dollars in Q4, peaking in September — how a small firm gets SAM-ready and quotes fast enough to win a share.
A101, A201, A401: A Small Contractor's Guide to the AIA Contract Family
A401's pay-if-paid clause decides whether a slow-paying owner becomes your problem. What A101, A201 and A401 each do, and which blanks to negotiate first.
Louisiana Folded Its Plumbing Board Into the Contractors Board: What HB 953 Means for Your License and Your Shop
Louisiana's HB 953 dissolves the State Plumbing Board on January 1 — journeyman hours drop from 7,000 to 2,500 and the apprentice ratio rises to 1:3.
Powder Coating Shop Bookkeeping: Job Costing by Square Foot, Rack, and Cure
Powder runs $0.25 per square foot at 50% transfer efficiency — quote from that floor, allocate oven energy per cure, and reserve 2–5% of revenue for redos.
What to Actually Charge for Custom Woodworking
Price custom woodwork from true costs — 15–25% material markup, overhead per billable hour, 10–20% profit — not a materials-times-three guess.
Renovating a Pre-1978 Home? The EPA Lead-Paint Rule Every Contractor Must Follow
EPA's RRP Rule fines uncertified firms up to $49,772 per violation per day — certify for $300, assign a Certified Renovator, keep records three years.
Hunting Guide and Outfitter Bookkeeping: Deposits, Federal-Land Permits, Per-Hunt Costing, and Insurance
Hunting outfitters must treat 50% client deposits as deferred revenue, accrue the ~3% federal land-use fee on permitted ground, cost every hunt per hunter-day, and carry participant liability coverage — here is the full system.
Embroidery and Vinyl Wrap Shop Bookkeeping: Price Every Stitch and Square Foot Like You Mean It
Embroidery runs $1–$2.70 per 1,000 stitches and installed vinyl wraps $12–$20 per square foot — here is how a decoration shop builds those rates from real material and labor costs, tracks thread, blanks and film correctly, and expenses machines under Section 179 in 2026.
Web Accessibility Audit and VPAT Consultancy Bookkeeping: Pricing Audits, ACR Deliverables, and Bundled Remediation Engagements
How web accessibility consultancies price per-page WCAG audits ($75–$500 per page), package VPAT/ACR deliverables, structure $30K–$60K bundled remediation engagements as milestones, and book deposits as deferred revenue so each service line's true margin is visible.